Mr. Speaker, with all due deference I find the hon. member's question to be singularly confusing. One day members of the Bloc Quebecois tell us to reduce the premiums and complain about the measures we take to do it. Now they are saying to take them back to the year before which means we have to pay for the programs.
I want to say to the hon. member we had to introduce the increase in order to account for the cost of the programs of the previous government. We did not have time in the first six weeks of office to make those arrangements. The Minister of Finance has now done that in his budget.
This move has been broadly supported by all the small business organizations across Canada. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business has said that this measure will give them the mandate to go out and create work.
However, we cannot have it retrograde because these programs do not come into effect until July 1. Therefore we still have to pay for the programs until July 1. At that time we will bring in the new measures, acquire the surplus necessary, bring down the premiums, create jobs and make the hon. member very happy.